Obsessive Runner

Running is cheaper than Therapy

2012-02-01T22:45:00.001Z

These past few weeks have been some of the most frustrating times I have had with both the health of running but also my general health. Not long after my first physio appointment I came down with a fever and chest infection. Just when I thought I was back on the road to recovery from my foot and ankle problem I was dealt this even worse hand from the cards of life. WHY NOW! After visiting my

Pain in the Navicular

2012-01-07T19:11:00.001Z

Well it's been an interesting week or so since my last posting. Although I would normally focus on running activities this post is focused on a minor injury I have been living with for some time. I have had a mild pain in my right foot since early October and although it was not noticeable at first it has begun to plague me during the past month or so . Although it has been bearable I had

Three steps forward with Two steps back!

2011-12-31T15:43:00.001Z

Well it's come to that time of the year with just hours remaining until the end of 2011 that I reflect (briefly) on the a year that was both full of so many memories. Although it has not been a year to remember in a positive light regarding races / achievements I take away a lot of other positives that I did not expect to have. What I am talking about here is mainly concerning the support I have

Winter Revelation

2011-10-09T16:01:00.001+01:00

I realised the other day that it's been ages since my last blurb on here and to be be honest I thought it was because I hadn't had much going on in the running side of my life but when I thought about it that simply wasn't the case. This blog post includes a health warning as it is quite long.. September - Let me hear your body talk. During September I didn't race but I had a very solid month

Weekly Summary: Sept 12/09 - 18/09 - Keeping it easy

2011-09-19T20:37:00.005+01:00

Running Breakdown Mon - 7 miles easy Tue - 7 miles easy Wed - a.m. 3 miles easy / p.m. 5 miles Tempo Thu - 4 miles easy Fri - a.m. 3 miles easy / p.m. 6 miles easy Sat - 8 miles easy Sun - 12 miles steady Total for the week - 55 miles Not much to report this week other than that I am pleased to notch up another 7 days of running without too much of a problem. I was feeling slight fatigue at

Weekly Summary: Sept 05/09 - 11/09 - Back in the Groove

2011-09-11T21:22:00.000+01:00

Running Breakdown Mon - 5m Tue - 8m Wed - 6m Thu - 8m Fri - 6m Sat - 3m / 5m Sun - 14m So what has been going on. Since I pulled up at the Adidas Thunder run back at the end of July I took it quite easy on the running side of things as I didn't really know what to do after my key race of the year didn't turn out how I wanted it to as I didn't want to run at all. Fortunately I went on holiday

DNF at the Adidas Thunder Run 24hr

2011-08-07T17:39:00.000+01:00

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of joining 1,900 runners for the Adidas Thunder run 24h race in Tamworth, Derbyshire. The weather was very hot, course conditions were dry and the atmosphere (like a festival) a lot different from other races I have done in the past. Unfortunately for me I made a decision that I never planned to but throught necessity had to. The Adidas Thunder run 24hr race

Adidas Thunder Run 24 - only days away

2011-07-27T22:48:00.000+01:00

The Adidas Thunder run 24-hour is now just three days away. It will surely be a unique occasion due to the numbers of solo runners, pairs and teams that I heard enter. When colleagues at work or friends have asked me about how this race works I simply say, you have 24 hours to cover as much mileage as possible in the form of 10km loops. This format is something I am used to as most of my

4 weeks to go

2011-07-02T21:52:00.000+01:00

What an amazing week it's been in the ultra running world. I was pretty much glued to Twitter feeds last weekend with regards to the fabled Western States 100 miler and this possibly didn't help sleeping patterns for a couple of days but it turned out to be an amazing race. Well done to Kilian Jornet for winning the overall event. He is one hell of a mountain runner and some of the things he does

Here comes the Thunder

2011-06-11T21:37:00.000+01:00

Well again it's been some time since I last posted and things have been quite a lot on both the running and domestic front. First of all I dropped out of both the 10 mile race and half marathon I entered. The main reasons for this are related to domestic events. At the time my reason for entering these races was driven by the thought that my chances of taking part in any ultras for the next few

Build up & Race again

2011-05-05T23:07:00.000+01:00

Things have been pretty quiet for me the past month (so this post will be short) as I have been re-evaluating what I am going to do now that my BGR attempt has been sidelined for another time and the continuing problem of the pain in my butt! Thankfully over the last 4 weeks I have been able to manage this problem with some strengthening and stretching exercises which has positively improved the

Change of Direction

2011-04-08T13:45:00.000+01:00

Well it's been a too long since I had anything to say and yet a lot has happened in the past few weeks. There has been a lot of ups and downs since my trip to the Lake District a few short weeks ago and here is a brief update on that. The trip itself was a fabulous experience that really brought me out of my comfort zone both running / hiking about the 'biggest hills' in England. The two day

The Time has Come.

2011-03-18T21:36:00.000Z

It's been some time since my last blog entry and for the most part I have been struggling with a right glute and hamstring issue that has prevented me running comfotably. The glute problem had developed just before the Moonlight event but I felt that with sufficient active rest afterwards it would go away. However it wasn't to be so I booked an appointment with an Osteopath to discover what the

Moonlight Challenge - Race Report

2011-02-21T00:07:00.004Z

Having entered The Moonlight Challenge not long ago my approach to it was to treat it like a long training run rather than a full on race. Having logged some solid mileage during January I was fairly confident it would go well. During the last 10 days before the event I developed a slight calf injury that I had to carefully monitor otherwise I was in danger of not even starting the run. I decided

The Future: 2011 Running Plans

2011-01-31T21:34:00.001Z

Well it's been a whole month since I last blogged and 2011 has got off to a flyer training wise. Including today's run of 9 mile hill reps I averaged 50 miles a week for January. That is a new record for me, modest for some but for me it's a good sign that my running has gone up a level and I feel much stronger for it. I will be looking to build on this moving forward throughout the year and

The Wheel of Life

2010-12-31T13:00:00.000Z

I woke up this morning feeling feeling very refreshed considering that my household has suffered at the hands of the the flu bug sweeping through the country this past week although officially it's not an epidemic the experts are saying. I have been conscious of the fact that I haven't updated my blog this past month but to be honest I haven't had much time due to a very busy month both on the

Gatliff 50km marathon Race Report

2010-11-29T22:03:00.000Z

"Jerry you won't believe this but drink bottle has frozen, it tastes just like a raspberry slush puppie" These were my exact words as I left the first checkpoint on Sunday during the Gatliff 50km marathon event. I was pre-warned about this event to not under estimate it or be fooled by the race title. This event is primarily setup for walkers by the LDWA with distances of 50km, 35km and 20km.

When Less is more

2010-11-24T00:29:00.000Z

This afternoon I found out that the car I have owned for the last 2 years requires fixing due to oil leaking into the coolant tank. It will cost in the region of £300 to get fixed and to be honest my first thoughts were one of panic especially as Christmas is around the corner and I do not like spending this money on this type of thing as I have already replaced most of the engine and it's

Billericay Striders 10k Race Report

2010-11-10T21:59:00.002Z

A 10k race..did I read this right..yes you did. This is a local race some 30 minutes drive from where I live and is organised by the Billericay Striders running club. When a couple of running friends asked me if I was interested in signing up for this I didn't give it a second thought and sent off my entry with thought that I could set a decent 10k PB to build upon. Something I had failed to do

In the Fast lane

2010-10-15T22:21:00.000+01:00

During the past couple of weeks training has been consistent and I have had some great quality sessions. One of the areas I have been focusing on is my leg speed and speed endurance. The reason for this is that I have finally entered my first 10k road race that takes place in 3 weeks time on November 7th. ** One of the things I mentioned in my last post was that I would be doing some shorter

New Focus

2010-10-03T23:18:00.008+01:00

It occurred to me today halfway through my long run foot deep in very muddy conditions that summer has finally fizzled out. The weather this whole weekend has been wet, windy and with a noticeable chill slowly returning to the air during the mornings and evenings. I don't dislike training during the winter time as I do find the cold dark mornings somehow more calming than during summer especially

Back in the saddle

2010-09-18T00:10:00.000+01:00

Well the week is almost up and I am feeling back to where I should be once again and have been enjoying some great runs during the last couple of weeks. I also managed to break the 1,000 mile mark for this year and although not a big number I am pleased that I have reached this total so far and it's still going upwards. Although weekly mileage has been low compared to pre July I will be looking

The Good, Bad and Where to Next.

2010-08-30T22:12:00.004+01:00

I have been conscious that I haven't posted for a while and that's mainly because I haven't had much going on since the Grimsthorpe 70 miler 5 weeks ago and deliberately so. Due to my overuse injury sustained during the race I really did need 3-4 weeks of recovery to ensure a smooth recovery. I have slowly returned to running during the past 10 days but things have not gone exactly to plan. It

Grimsthorpe 70m ultra - Report

2010-07-25T23:03:00.002+01:00

It was 6.00am when I awoke in my Travelodge room knowing that today’s Grimsthorpe 70 mile ultra was going to push my known limits both from a distance perspective and how much time I would end up spending on my two feet. I made a cup of tea and had two bagels with peanut butter for breakfast that I had made the previous day at home. I felt quite thirsty also due to the air conditioning so I

Summer Fun

2010-07-01T13:30:00.000+01:00

Summer really has arrived during the past two weeks and it has made most of my runs weather has been beautiful and it's just over 3 weeks until my second ultra marathon, Grimsthorpe 70 miler. As part of building up for this summer race I tok part in a very popular and highly rated off road race mainly because it was local and the route was over one my favourite parts of the country - The North

Training update and Running Free Magazine

2010-06-10T23:13:00.001+01:00

When I got back from my 8 mile run today it was the first time in 2 weeks that I actually felt good. Prior to this I have felt quite tired mainly due to a bad cold and hayfever symptons resulting in missing 2-3 training sessions. One thing I do not like is to miss a running session as keeping things consistent is very important for me both as a motivational tool and to keep improving the aerobic

Sometimes you have to slow down

2010-05-26T23:52:00.001+01:00

It's been almost three weeks since my last post which is a little slack considering I was regularly posting each week but to be honest life has been pretty busy both at work and at home although this hasn't adversely impacted some quality running sessions from being completed. As the seasons transition from spring to summer I definitely feel an extra bounce in my legs and a lot of my short

Good News...Bad News.

2010-05-09T22:50:00.000+01:00

Well what a difference 7 days can make to a running schedule. Earlier in the week I sat down and mapped out how much gear I still needed to get for the Lakeland 50 event in July. A complete list is below:First aid kit Full waterproof trousers. Whistle Hat and gloves Emergency foil blanket / bivi bag Emergency food & drink Compass GPS Handheld Device Now looking at this it will probably cost me

April has ended!

2010-05-03T22:04:00.000+01:00

Well April has been a successful month on the training front and here is a quick tally of the numbers. April Totals: -Miles: 185 -Hours: 27hrs 31mins -Sessions: 20 For me this has been the most successful month I have had since taking up running 2 years ago. I set the bar at 200 miles for this month and knew that figure would be tough to hit but overall I am very pleased with what I have

A run in the "Garden of England".

2010-04-26T21:55:00.003+01:00

20-04-2010 Tue:PM 5.15 miles (:38) Hornchurch Country Park., Fartlek run today after resting on Monday @7:37 min/mile pace 21-04-2010 Wed:PM 5.2 miles (:46) Hornchurch Country Park., Nice recovery run today due to legs feeling slight ache after previous session @8:55 min/mile pace. 22-04-2010 Thu:AM 9.1 miles (1:12) Hornchurch Country Park., Great run today. Perfect conditions, beautiful

Volcano Chaos

2010-04-19T22:04:00.001+01:00

Consider this: at its most powerful, Iceland’s most irritable volcano is sending 750 tons of ash into the air every second…enough to fill an olympic sized swimming pool in just 3 seconds. The giant cloud is grounding flights in more than 20 countries. The total number of stranded passengers is in the millions…all over the world. That pretty much sums up the chaos Europe has been experiencing

The road is dead. Long live the trail.

2010-04-11T22:54:00.010+01:00

It has been a great week in my short running life as I managed to break 50+ miles a week for the first time and physically feel pretty good I have to say. Having had this week off from work I have been lucky enough to pick anytime throughout the day to enjoy my running and the very pleasant weather. 05-04-2010 Mon:PM 8 miles (1:05) Local Roads., Run was mainly set around local roads near where

Good Fortune & Fat Feet

2010-04-09T07:34:00.003+01:00

Don't you just love it when good fortune shows up when you least expect it too. Now I know that most of you are privy to using Facebook on a regular but to actually win something for free through the site is probably a rarity. A few weeks ago I added to my illustrious list of friends a company called Fat Feet Blisters. The company organise some great physically challenging running events

A Taste of the Fells

2010-04-06T21:24:00.000+01:00

Since my last posting the family and I had took a trip to Lancaster to see extended family over the Easter weekend. Of course this would be the perfect time to plan a quick trip to the Lake District to experience the wonders of the Fells given the fact that the Lakeland 50 race was some 3 1/2 months away. I had been meaning to arrange a trip for some time to do a recce for some of the course.

Taking on the Ridgeway 85 Ultra

2010-03-27T21:22:00.001Z

Well I finally did something this week that I had been pondering for sometime I sent off my completed entry form for the Ridgeway 85 mile ultra. This 85 mile event is run along a 5000 year old trackway (Ridgeway national trail) through the Chiltern Hills and North Wessex Downs (along Grim’s Ditch for several miles), Barbury Castle and Liddington Castle (hill forts) are en route and with 9,000

Brentwood 1/2 Marathon. Sun 21/03/2010.

2010-03-22T21:46:00.000Z

Last Sunday I joined over 1,800 runners at the Brentwood Half Marathon. This popular event, organised by the Rotary Club of Brentwood à Becket, is now in its 29th year and has raised well over £870,000 for Local, National and International Charities, plus much more through runners' own sponsorship for their own causes. I originally aimed for a sub 1:45 today - a 15 minute PB, as the training

Amazing phone call.

2010-03-07T22:39:00.006Z

Hi everyone,Well it is 10:40pm on Sunday and I was just thinking about going to bed when I thought that I just had to briefly mention a conversation I had during this past week with a very inspirational person. That person is Alex Flynn.Now you may not have heard about Alex but he is an amazing endurance athlete! He has done half-marathons, marathons, ultra marathons such as the Ridgeway 85

The Deep Freeze has gone!

2010-02-25T20:15:00.009Z

February is almost over, air temperatures are rising, the birds are singing, spring is around the corner and my whole life seems to be getting busier!Training has gone fairly well so far in February although I have missed a 50% of my sessions (due to a friends stag do, business travel, freakish weather and general domestic stuff going on) but I am feeling stronger and faster than at anytime in

A Good Start

2010-02-07T21:11:00.004Z

Well we are well into February now and I must say I am getting more excited and focused on the challenges ahead over the next few months. January was a good start to the year although in the past couple of weeks I have struggled to balance my running with work as I have had to travel somewhat! This combiend with the snow/ice has also meant not doing hill repeats as I didn't want to risk breaking

2010 events plan

2010-01-22T17:35:00.008Z

Well it has been 3 weeks since we entered a new decade and the year 2010. I hope you all are still feeling motivated and focused on your goals for this year.After much thought I have drawn up a list of races that I am provisionally putting on the roadmap for this year to compete in.2010 looks like this so far.28 Mar - Brighton Trail marathon - 27mi09 May - Halstead marathon - 26.2mi13 Jun -

Running in the Snow!

2010-01-09T09:18:00.003Z

Well what a week it has been for the UK with regards to the weather. I know us Brits always talk about the weather but it has been the worst snowfall in 50 years and with 100's of schools, businesses, flights and transport services affected we are being told that the temperatures/conditions are here to stay for the next week or so. I'm sure we will talk about it some more now :-)The snow has

A new decade has begun.

2010-01-01T09:26:00.003Z

Goodbye 2009! Hello 2010!2009 has come to a close and I must say it was a very enjoyable year having finished my first ultra marathon I look forward to 2010 being filled with ever greater challenges.A new year has begun and today is usually the beginning of when we all start following all those new years resolution we set ourselves.Mine are along the following lines belowBe a better fatherBe a

How quickly do you lose endurance!

2009-12-11T22:25:00.004Z

During the past two weeks I have steadily been building up the mileage with 26 miles done last week and 28 miles completed this week. Of course all runs are finished off with the obligatory partial squats. Runs for this week are below.Sun - 10 miles pre breakfast 01:35:52Tue - 5 miles fast run 39:31Thu - 8 miles hill repeats 01:14:59Fri - 5 miles recovery run 47:28Physically and mentally I

Training / Diet / Injury

2009-11-27T20:26:00.003Z

Hi Everyone.I haven't posted for a while and the main reason for that is that I have been re-evaluating my training program due to the fact I want to properly prepare myself for next years challenges and to minimize injuries going forward.About a month ago I decided to take my training forward. After a recommendation from a fellow ultra runner to incorporate the services of an Online coach I

It has been a while

2009-10-16T21:00:00.012+01:00

Hi everyone.It has been sometime since my last post and that been mainly due to a very busy domestic schedule spending time with the family and slowly coming back from a suspected stress fracture in my left foot. However I am now back in training and decided it was about time to book my first event for next year. So I decided to enter the Lakeland 50.Having always wanted to go to the Lake

New Challenges

2009-09-02T21:16:00.003+01:00

During the last few weeks I have been trying to actively rest and recover from the 50 mile challenge due to the fact I had a suspected stress fracture in my left foot.Fortunately I have returned to training this week and over the coming weeks look to bump up the mileage and perhaps book in a couple of events.During this time I have constantly thought to myself what am I going to do next year??

Inspiration

2009-08-12T22:28:00.002+01:00

If you ever feel low on motivation to get out there and run take a look at this video to show what's possible in the world of UltraRunning. Some amazing scenery and races but mostly in the US :-)

The 50 mile Challenge - Canterbury, Kent

2009-07-27T22:23:00.000+01:00